A Game of Laser Tag
by xPeppermint
Summary: Rick leaves his coat at the precinct, and Kate comes by to return it. When she gets there, he and Alexis are playing another game of laser tag, but this time, she joins in and finds that she really can let loose and simply enjoy Ricks's company.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This story comes from just a little idea I had a while back. I hope you like it. I don't really plan for this to be a series, but I may make it one if there is enough interest in the story. Please review, and as always, enjoy. ~Pepper**

Two eyes peeked out of a bunch of dried branches, which was probably the only sign of life for miles. The enemy was nowhere to be seen, which caused the rebel warrior much alarm. As far as she knew, he could be anywhere, preparing to strike her down and kill her where she stood, all in the name of Voltar. Haha, Voltar, that so-called superpower would never get its hands on the omniverse! Not so long as she was alive and strong, and able to fight alongside the rebels in their quest to take down the enemy. She had to fight for her freedom, and she would get it.

"You will never defeat me, young one." A voice sounded from behind her, followed by a deep, throaty laugh. She stiffened, then turned her body ever so slowly, her eyes falling upon the Voltarian that had been chasing her all this way. He was on her trail since she left her home, and now they were face to face, locked in deadly combat. "You best run while you still can."

"Never!" The young rebel growled, her weapon at the ready. "To run would be a mark of shame."

"Tell me," replied the Voltarian, "is it better to die honorably?" A smirk graced his lips as he raised his gun. "Or live as a coward?" The rebel was momentarily blinded by a green flash of light, which she took a bit too long to register as her opponent's lazer beam. She got onto her knees and crawled through the dust until she was on the other side of him, the shot narrowly missing her leg.

"It's not my place to ponder morals." She replied, smiling to herself as the Voltarian looked around, confused as to where she had gone. "But I do know that this is not a day to die!" She managed to shoot her opponent square in the chest as he turned to face her, but even this was not enough to do him in. The damage he suffered was minimal, and he let the rebel know this by giving her another laugh.

"Fool! You will never..."

Both the rebel and the Voltarian paused as an unfamiliar sound reached their ears. Who was this intruder? Did he not know better than to walk in on someone else's fight? The pair exchanged quizzical glances with one another, in silent agreement that they were allies until they found out what had caused the disturbance...

''''''''''''''''''

"Detective Beckett?"

Kate opened her mouth to speak, but was unable to form any words. How often did they do this lazer tag thing? This was already the second time she'd walked in on Castle and Alexis when they were suited up in flashing blue armor, each wielding very complicated looking guns. "Sorry." She managed after a moment, shaking her head. She extended her hand, which was currently holding a brown jacket. "You left this at the precinct."

Castle smiled as he took it. He hadn't even known that he left it there, and even if he had, he never would have expected her to return it to him. Especially not this late at night, and especially not on a Friday. She definitely had better, more important things to do than return his coat. "Thank you. Would you like to come in?"

"Oh no, but thank you." Beckett smiled a bit awkwardly, looking in between the two of them. Now that she thought about it, the scene was kind of cute. Castle and his daughter had such a wonderful relationship; that was evident the first time she'd seen them together. It was the kind of relationship she wished she'd still had with her dad. "You two look like you're busy."

Alexis piped up before her father could protest. "We're battling for control of the omniverse." She glanced at her dad, a wicked grin on her face. She was not going to let this opportunity pass by. "You should join in. If you're not too busy, that is."

"Oh, yes! Voltar could use the help keeping the rebels at bay."

"You mean, the rebels could use the help keeping the Voltarians at bay." She turned back to Kate, giving her a kind smile. "What do you say, Detective?"

Beckett thought for a moment, looking at their pleading expressions. She couldn't Imagine how ridiculous she would look in one of those blue flashing outfits. Then she wondered if it would even matter. Why was she so insistent on keeping up appearances, when acting silly really didn't Castle much harm? He had fun, real, genuine fun. And she usually spent her nights at home, eating leftovers out of Chinese takeout boxes. So why not? Nodding, Beckett heaved a little sigh. "Sure." She answered. "So long as the boys at the precinct don't hear about this. What do I do?"

Alexis smiled as she ushered her into the room and her father went to retrieve an extra gun and armor. "It's easy. You hit him, and stop him from hitting you. You're on my team."

"I have a feeling your dad won't be so happy about that."

The girl shrugged, watching as Castle returned and helped their guest into her armor. This was definitely going to be quite the sight. She still couldn't believe that Detective Beckett had even agreed to join in with their little fight, but she couldn't say that it didn't make her incredibly happy. Her father had changed since the two of them started working together. He had always been a happy-go-lucky sort of man, always cheerful (except when it came to trying to take over the omniverse), and always smiling. But when Beckett and the rest of the precinct gang came into his life, it was like all that joy that he naturally carried with him was multiplied by a hundred. Or more. She'd never seen him quite so happy, and she was determined to make sure that this would never fade away.

"Ready?" Alexis waited for a signal from her opponent and her new team member, then shut off the lights when she received a nod. Immediately, she and Kate were behind the couch, using the piece of furniture as a sort of fort, something to shield them from the Voltarian's blows.

''''''''''''''''''''

They fought.

The lazer beams went every which way, bouncing off the ground, the rocks, and the occasional plant, but it was rare that one of the actual warriors was hit. Having a lot of practice, the Voltarian was rather skilled at deflecting blows, but he still couldn't compare to the rebels. The young one, who was small and fast on her feet, was easily able to dive behind rocks and trees other objects that would protect her. And the older rebel, though much less experienced, was obviously trained well by her superiors. She could easily defend herself, and was not at all afraid of facing her enemy.

"You are cowardly, Voltarian." She called, as she stood in the open, waiting to face her foe. Her partner had long since been hit, and was taking time to nurse her wounds. The elder rebel slowly circled the area, keeping her eyes peeled for movement. Her opponent was very good at hiding himself.

At last! There came a rustle from one of the trees, and she turned quickly, catching a blur of movement to he right. She advanced, but took only a few steps as the Voltarian came out into the open. "You've done well, my friend." He said slowly, letting his eyes roam her form. On the outside, she seemed delicate, but he knew better than to judge her by her outward appearance.

"As have you." They stared at each other for a long while, until the man lunged forward, shooting a beam straight toward the rebel's chest. The dodged the attack and countered with one of her own, refusing to go down without a fight. This same pattern continued for quite some time. There were flashes of green light everywhere, and both found it quite hard to focus on the other when there was such a flurry of motion around them. However, the rebel did manage to get the upper hand in the end, and she served her enemy with a fatal blow. He fell to the ground, breathing heavily.

"You may have won, but the omniverse still belongs to Voltar."

The rebel smirked, about to say something witty, but she was caught off guard by a sudden pain. She looked down at herself and soon noticed a large burn mark on her abdomen. She'd been hit. She crumpled to the ground beside her foe, taking a few, final gasps. "You... you..."

The Voltarian stood, laughing at his fallen enemy. "I have defeated you."

"""""""""

Rick and Kate both were laughing as the former extended a hand, helping the detective up. She could not believe how much fun the night had been, and though she cursed herself for admitting it, she didn't really want it to stop. She honestly couldn't remember the last time she'd enjoyed herself this much. "Thanks, Castle." A smile graced her lips. "That was really great."

Alexis soon joined the group, slipping an arm around her father's waist as he placed one around her shoulder. She looked up at their guest and smiled brightly. This really had worked in their favor. Her dad was happy, and Kate seemed to be happy too. "That was the best game of lazer tag I think I've ever had." She watched as her father nodded in agreement. "Even if we did lose."

Kate laughed merrily. "Don't worry. The Voltarians won't be as lucky next time."

As soon as she said it, she regretted it. She certainly would like there to be a next time, but something just didn't feel right about it. Then again, something didn't feel right about having this much fun and then returning to the same old boring Beckett the next morning.

"I hope there will be a next time, Detective." Alexis's words pulled her out of her thoughts and her smile returned. She couldn't promise she'd come back and join the battle again, but she did know that something amazing had just happened to her. She felt more open, freer, as if she now knew that one day she'd wake up and she wouldn't have to be so uptight.

"Call me Kate."

And with that, she wished everyone a fond farewell and headed home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thanks to all my lovely reviewers, as well as some nudging from a friend of mine, I've decided to turn this into a series after all. As always, I hope you enjoy the story, and please let me know what you think. ~Pepper.**

"Gotta go! Love you!" Alexis sprinted from the stairs to the door, her shoes nearly slipping on the hard floor of the loft. If she didn't get out of the house in exactly five minutes, there was no way she was going to make it to school on time. And that was unforgivable, as she had a huge calculus test that morning.

"Hey, hey! Where do you think you're going?" Castle appeared from his office, and quickly ran across the room, pulling his daughter into a nearly bone crushing hug. A huge grin was plastered on his handsome face. "I haven't thanked you yet this morning."

Alexis rolled her eyes, wiggling out his grasp. "Dad, you thanked me a million times last night, and two million the night before that. I get it."

"No, really. You're a genius. I need you to know that."

"Look, I love the praise, but I seriously need to go. Just don't forgot about the breakfast, watch what you say, and don't mess it up."

"Easier said than done." The smile on Castle's face didn't exactly fade, but it was no longer as bright as it had been two seconds ago. He was completely and utterly _nervous_, which didn't happen to him a lot. This wasn't going to be just another day at the precinct, and he still wasn't quite sure how he would handle himself.

Alexis seemed to notice this change in him, and she turned, giving him a little frown. "It'll all be okay. And even it ends in rejection, you'll get through it."

"Rejection?"

"Okay, that probably wasn't the best thing to say." She got up on her toes and gave her father a little kiss on the cheek. "You'll do fine."

Castle whimpered pathetically, giving her a little pout. "Can't you stay home today? I could really use the moral support."

She sighed. "I can't. I have a test today, and if I cut class once, I'll want to do it again. And again. And then one day I'll wake up and find that I'm a school skipping fiend. It's a vicious cycle."

"Okay, you're right. Now go."

Alexis gave a little nod and turned, only to turn back around a second later. "Stay safe!"

""""""""""""""""""

"What have you got for me?" Kate Beckett was standing in the kitchen area of a middle class apartment, where the body of a woman in her mid twenties was lying on the floor. She wasn't visably bruised or scratched, save for a pretty big bump on the top of her hand and some red marks around her neck.

"The woman who lives here," medical examiner Lanie Parish pointed to the body, "was named Dana Keenan, age twenty-five. There's evidence of choking, but considering the way the wind pipe was damaged, I don't think she was killed that way. It has more to do with the knock on her head."

Kate nodded, taking in all of this information. "Can you give me any specifics on the murder weapon?"

"Not really." Lanie frowned a little. "There's nothing strange about the wound, so it could have been any number of things. A frying pan, maybe, or a really heavy knic-knack, like one of the ones over there." She pointed to a shelf in the living area, which was home to an array of miniature statues. "I'll run a tox-screen to see if anything interesting shows up, but that's about all for now."

"Thanks, Lanie." The detective gave a nod and turned to go, but she was stopped by a clearing of her friend's throat. "What?"

"You tell me."

"Tell you what?"

Lanie folded her arms over her chest and gave Kate a hard look. "What happened? I'm going to take a wild guess and say it has something to do with Writer Boy... where is he, anyway?"

She shrugged, looking back at the door. Ryan and Esposito were talking to the man who found the body and also happened to be the victim's boyfriend, but there was no sign of Castle. "I don't know," she replied, turning back to her friend. "How do you do that?"

"Uh-uh. I'm not giving away my secrets, and I'm not letting you distract me from the real point. What happened?"

Kate sighed. "I went over to his place the other day to return his jacket, and he and Alexis were playing laser tag."

"And? Don't act like this is nothing."

"They asked me to join them... and I did."

Lanie grinned, giving her a look as if to say "I told you so." She'd known Kate Beckett for quite a while now, and she knew all of her body language, all her facial expressions, and she _knew _when the energy surrounding her was a bit...different. In this case, that was a good thing. The detective was strictly business, but she couldn't hide the fact that something wasn't normal. "Go on."

Kate bit her lip and looked around the apartment a second time, as if admitting that she had a good time with Castle and Alexis the other night was something so sinful that God would strike her down. Once she had determined that no one was in earshot, she turned back to her friend, keeping her voice low just in case. "It was really something. I just sort of let loose. I looked ridiculous, and I lost the battle for control of the omniverse, but it didn't matter. I was having so much fun."

"Then why the hell are you beating around the bush?"

"I don't know." It was the truth. Kate enjoyed seeing Castle everyday. He made her job fun, which was something she needed when she was dealing with murder and death on a daily basis. And, she had to admit, she really enjoyed herself when he was around outside of her cases. He made her happy. So why didn't she speak up? One day, Heaven forbid, he could walk out her life forever, and she'd just stand there, dumbly, watching as he shattered her heart into a million pieces. She shook her head. No, that wouldn't happen. It couldn't. Right?

"Turn around." Lanie nodded her head in the direction of the door. "I'm headed to the lab." Lanie walked past Kate and went to the door of the apartment just as Rick Castle showed up. He grinned, giving the detective a silly wave.

"What did I miss?"


	3. Chapter 3

Back at the precinct, Kate Beckett was in the process of writing all the information she'd collected from the crime scene on the murder board. She always hated what it looked like on that first day of picking up a new case, so empty, so void of information. When she first joined the force, she would always stare at all the white spaces and wonder if this was what her mother's murder board looked like. Even now she'd occasionally catch herself going in that direction, but she made sure to dismiss those thoughts as soon as she realized she was having them. Those kinds of things would only serve to torture her, to drag her down into the hole that she'd created for herself so many years ago. If there was one thing she was afraid of in this life, that was it.

"Look at you, you just started a case and already the gears are turning. Someday I swear you'll go blind." Castle grinned as he put a hand on her shoulder, and that grin turned into a chuckle when the detective gasped and jumped about a foot in the air. She gave herself a moment to collect herself and then shot him a glare. If it were possible, he'd have sworn that the devil just jumped out of her body and entered his, preparing to devour his soul. "Sorry." He said, sending Kate an apologetic look. "Let me make it up to you."

Placing the marker down, Beckett sighed and nodded in his direction. She then followed him to her desk, where he wasted no time in opening a rather large paper bag. The smell of cinnamon escaped as he did this, and the detective momentarily allowed herself to go straight to Heaven as she took it in. On the list of things that she loved about Castle, the morning coffee and pastry runs were definitely somewhere on the top. And when she thought about it, that list of things was quite long. Damn. "Doesn't this ever get expensive?" Beckett asked finally, as an iced cinnamon roll was placed before her.

Her question was answered in the form of another grin. "You often forget that I'm Rick Castle." He handed her a napkin as he receieved another famous Beckett eye roll. "Besides, I didn't buy these. Alexis made them. She wanted to thank you for the other night. I don't know if you know this, but she really looks up to you." His daughter was a happy girl, and she often voiced her excitement, but she also had a way of toning things down if she thought it bothered someone. She was incredibly considerate in that way, and it translated into how she felt about Kate. In her eyes, the detective was "totally awesome," but it was rare that she said so. She didn't want to make Kate feel awkward since the two of them didn't spend much time together. That was something they both wished they could change, and they both knew it.

"You can tell her she's quite welcome. I'd tell her myself, but I know she's in school right now." Kate smiled, and she found that she felt really glad to know that Alexis thought so highly of her. The girl was one of the sweetest, most mature _people_ she'd ever met. The younger Castle was everything she would want in a daughter, and somehow, the fact that she was thinking of her in that context didn't bother Kate much. Didn't every girl, every woman, think of what her life would be like if she had a husband and kids? At least, from time to time? It was just interesting that her thoughts already shifted to Castle. When she dated Will, they never went in that direction.

"You know, Kate, you really could tell her yourself." This was the moment. This was what Castle had been anticipating all morning. This was the beginning of the conversation that would lead to him asking her to go out with him. This very well could lead to a future with Kate Beckett. As she raised her eyebrow in a quizzical sort of fashion, Rick took a deep breath, but that couldn't get rid of the knots in his stomach. "Why don't you come by later and talk to her? Alexis would love that?"

"Oh, I don't know, Castle, it's more complicated than just coming by and talking to her."

He sighed. "Look, Kate, the truth is that we both would love to see more of you. Alexis loves you, looks up to you, loves having you around. And frankly, so do I."

"Castle-"

"I know, I know, it's complicated."

"Castle-"

He slumped back in his chair, heaving a defeated sigh. So that was it. She was going to say no and they both knew it. He should have expected that they had no future together. So, his first instinct was to apologize. Maybe if he started saying he was sorry and trying to make it up to her, there was a chance they would go back to being friends. And if that happened, well maybe, just maybe, he'd have another shot. Well, here goes. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. It's way too soon and you're not ready and I can see that this all was one big mistake. Can we forget it ever happened?"

"Castle, sometimes you seriously just need to shut up." Kate rolled her eyes and set her cinnamon roll aside. She then leaned across the desk, placing a hand on his. She couldn't believe she was actually going to say this, but it was time. Every cell in her body screamed that it was time, and she knew that if she didn't act now, she never would. "Castle, I would love to go out with you."

Rick stared at her with wide eyes before jumping from his chair, quite un-gracefully. "Really?" He clapped his hands in delight. "You really just said that, right? I _know_ I heard you say that!"

Kate giggled even though she kenw she should be yelling for him to stop. "I really just said that. Now, pick me up at seven?"

He gave her a nod. "Seven is perfect."


	4. Chapter 4

Castle followed Beckett into the brightly lit interrogation room, where a young man in his mid twenties was already sitting in the chair facing their usual seats. He was pretty handsome, with deep blue eyes and wavy brown hair, and he was dressed as though he'd just returned from work. However, he also appeared to be quite nervous; underneath the table, his hands were being wrung together, and it wouldn't have been surprising if there were some traces of sweat on his body. He was either feeling guilty about something, or this was his first time being questioned by the police. Judging by his clothes and upright posture, Kate could venture to guess that it was the latter, or a mix of both.

"Mr. Brady, is it?" She said, as she and Rick took their seats. She flashed the man facing her a small smile as he nodded in response to her question. With his type, it was better to appear kind at first. If he wanted to play later, they'd play. But for now making him feel comfortable was her best bet. "Can I call you Steve?"

"Sure. Look, you don't think I did it, do you? I would never kill Dana, never. She was the love of my life. I was going to propose."

"Right now we're just doing some routine questioning, seeing what we can find out." Kate leaned back in her chair, realizing for the first time that her seat was a bit closer to Castle's than she remembered. She almost laughed and gave him her signature eye roll, but she soon caught herself and focused all of her attention back onto Steve. "Unless, of course, you give us some reason to suspect you." She put up a hand to silence him when he opened his mouth to protest, and he, in turn, went silent. "Where were you last night? Say, between midnight and one AM?"

Steve's eyes drifted up to the ceiling, and he thought a moment, muttering something under his breath as he tried to recall. "Dana and I went out last night. We had dinner, and we left around nine thirty to see a movie. And I took her home, I'd say, at about quarter to tweleve. By midnight I was at my own building. It's right down the street from Dana's."

"That sounds more like a first date than a date with someone you were going to propose to." Castle was the one talking now, and as Kate quietly watched him, she had to admit that this wasn't something she would have brought up. And he was right. If these two people were nearly engaged, why would the date be so casual? And why wouldn't he have spent a little more time talking to her in her apartment, maybe even spent the night? In the past, she had hated to admit that Rick really had been a big help on some of her cases. Now that thought was funny to her. They made a great team.

"We both had work in the morning." It was a simple enough excuse, but an excuse nonetheless. "And I had someone else to see that night."

Castle and Beckett exchanged glances, then turned their attention back onto Steve Brady.

"No! Not like that! See, there's this older woman who lives across from me, Mrs. Henderson, she and I are close. I help her out around the house, she can't do much, being older, you know, and she cooks for me and we talk. She's kind of like my granny, in a way."

"So you were with her? Why?"

"Just to talk. I usually go over there in the evenings, so she doesn't get too lonely. She likes having someone to talk to, since all of her children and grandchildren don't really talk to her."

"And why don't they talk to her?"

Steve shrugged. "I don't know. She never said. But it's kind of sad, don't you think?" Kate thought for a moment, and she could see where he was coming from. When her mom passed away, her relationships within the family were strained. Her grandparents had already died, but there were so many aunts, uncles, and cousins that she stopped talking to, other than to send the required greeting cards for birthdays and Christmases. That was yet another thing that she loved about the Castle family, that they were so close. She longed to be a part of something like that, to always have the love and support, and to always _have_ someone to love and support. When she used to think about the kind of person she wanted to spend her life with, as most young girls do, she could always remember thinking that she wanted someone with a big, loving family. A family to make up for her lack of one.

Castle spoke up next. "Can you think of anyone who might want to hurt Dana? Or maybe, did Dana have something that someone else would have wanted?"

Once again, Steve looked up to the ceiling, thinking it all over. Then he shrugged. "Dana was a pretty likable girl. Except, maybe at work. She worked for a fashion magazine, and the rumor around the office was that she was in for a pretty big promotion. Maybe someone was jealous."

Kate, having been pulled out of her thoughts, nodded, standing up from her seat. "Thank you, Steve. You can go now, and we'll be in touch."

"""""""

"What do you think of him?" After the interrogation, Castle was sitting at Beckett's desk, sipping some coffee. The murder board had already been filled in with information, and now he and his partner in crime were mulling over the details. Or rather, that's what they were supposed to be doing.

"What should I wear tonight?"

Castle stared at Kate for a minute, hardly believing that those words came out of her mouth. Of all the women in the world, he'd have thought that she was the least likely to worry about what she looked like. "Wear whatever you like."

"But you haven't told me where we're going. What if I end up looking like a complete idiot who doesn't know how to dress?"

Rick grinned, knowing in an instant that this wasn't actually about clothes. Beckett wasn't really asking what she should wear, rather, she was trying to find out where they were headed on their first date. He already knew exactly where they were going and what they'd be doing, and he'd already told her a hundred times that he was keeping it to himself. One of Richard Castle's romantic strategies was the element of surprise. If she didn't have any idea what to expect, he'd be able to wow her completely. She would never know what was coming. "It's not going to work." He sipped some more coffee. "Dress casual, nothing fancy."

"What's not going to work?"

"Really, Kate? Don't act so innocent."

The detective rolled her eyes, muttering something unintelligble under her breath. "Fine. It's still seven, right?"

"Right. Seven sharp."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Finally, we all get to see what happens on the first date. I hope you all enjoy the chapter, and I can't wait to hear what you think. ~Pepper.**

"This is amazing, but are you sure we should be here?"

"Relax, Kate. Tons of people climb up here, and this place isn't even used until the summer. Besides, it's already getting dark. No one's going to care." Rick lit the second of three candles he'd brought with him, and set it down upon the floor of Central Park's summer stage. It was late in the evening, and even most of the tourists had gone away, making it the perfect place for a romantic picnic, complete with wine, a home cooked Italian meal, and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.

"So how did you come up with all of this?" Kate looked around a bit as he set out the rest of the food and poured her a drink. Earlier, she'd been a bit worried about this date. She had no idea what Castle had planned, and for all she knew, it could have been a complete disaster. But it wasn't. It was intimate and quiet, and it was also romantic, but not over the top. It was perfect.

"I figured it would be what you wanted." He soon replied, handing her a glass. "It's not too intense, so you don't feel any stress or pressure. It doesn't give the impression that we're jumping into things, rather, we're just easing into it. And it's simple. Here, we can talk, and we don't have to worry about anyone getting in our way." Castle gave her a smile, the kind of smile that she'd only seen a few times before. He wasn't being goofy or childish, though she loved those traits in him, but it made her feel special, cared for. It was the same feeling she got off of him when she confided in him how afraid she was of interrogating the man whom she knew had some connection to her mother's murder, when he'd reassured her that she would be able to go in there in do it. It only added to how wonderful the night was already proving to be.

"I'm surprised." Kate said, "You must have put so much thought into this. I keep forgetting that there's so much more to Rick Castle than what I've seen at the precinct."

"I told you to come around more often." He laughed, "Next time you should listen to me. Maybe I'll even give you a sneak peek into the next Nikki Heat book."

"Really?" Beckett put a hand to her heart, feigning excitement. She used the other hand to fan herself as she'd seen countless Castle fans do when approaching him. "I've been _dying _to know if Nikki and Rook make up, especially after that entrance of his..."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she cursed herself mentally, realizing all too late that she'd completely forgotten herself. All that she'd said wasn't exactly a lie. To be perfectly honest, none of it was. Ever since the preview of the first chapter of Naked Heat came out, she really had been dying to know, both because she was a fan, and also because she knew that Heat and Rook paralleled their relationship. If they worked out, so would Castle's characters. And lately, she'd really been hoping that Nikki Heat got back together with her love interest. She felt so terrible when it was mentioned that things weren't exactly working out.

"I knew it!" Rick grinned at her, an 'I told you so' look on his face. "I knew you were more of a fan than you originally let on. So, you liked the preview, did you?"

Kate rolled her eyes, deciding to play along. She couldn't imagine how embarassing it would be to admit that she'd been a fan of his for quite some time. It would only give him license to mock her for the rest of her life. "I only read it to see what goes on in that head of yours."

"Come on, Kate, don't pretend."

She sighed. "All right. I read it, I enjoyed it, and then I read it at least five more times."

"And?" That grin of his just wouldn't fade away.

"And I already knew about the title before you told me. I found out the day it was released."

"And?" By now, Castle was leaning toward her, as if trying to soak up all the information she was telling him. This was just too good to be true, and he wanted to be in this moment.

"And I saw the cover the day it was released... to members of your fansite only."

"I thought so." Rick wasn't as happy with the fact that Kate was a fan than he was with the fact that she was paying attention to what was going on in his universe. That meant that she was interested in him and his goings-on. It signaled that she really did like him, and that she wasn't just tolerating him after all this time. By now, he was pretty sure of that, but there was also some little voice in the back of mind telling him that she only agreed to go on this date to make him shut up. That voice was gone now. "But now you're not allowed to look at the drafts."

Kate frowned, tilting her head. "Why not?"

"Because now I know that you actually wanted to, and it'll be just so much fun to torture you."

She rolled her eyes, giving Castle another sigh. "Fine, but I still get an advanced copy, right?"

"Of course." He nodded. "You are Nikki Heat. It's only fair."

From there, the date went better than either of them could have possibly imagined. The night was filled with good food and good company, and also lots of talking and laughing. For the first time in quite a while, Kate felt like she could be open and honest with someone, and it wouldn't come crashing down around her. And, she realized, she liked being open and honest. She wasn't nervous, as she thought she would be, and there hadn't been any pressure or stress. Quite simply, everything just felt good.

That is, until the pair walked out of the park and headed to Castle's car, only to have Kate trip over something and land in his arms. When she looked at the ground to see what had caused her to stumble, she heaved a sigh. Lying at her feet was the body of a man in his thirties, and it was obvious that someone had put at least three gunshot wounds in his chest.

"What a night for murder."


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: So sorry about the delay in getting this chapter up. I've been sick lately, and haven't been feeling up to writing much. But anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and I'd love to hear what you think. Love you all! ~Pepper.**

As she sat a bench outside of the park, with Castle by her side, Kate failed to notice the sideways glances that she was receiving not only from the medical examiner, but also from her fellow detectives. At the moment she was focused only on how miserable she felt, and how she couldn't believe that such a perfect night could be ruined in just a matter of seconds. It wasn't fair. She was surrounded by death every day, so she didn't need it when she got the rare chance to enjoy herself outside of the precinct. Of course, her lack of a life outside of her work was mostly her fault, so it just made it that much worse that the psychopaths of New York City couldn't give her a break on the one night she chose to loosen up and have a little fun. Was it really that much to ask? She sighed as she turned to Rick, who gave her a sympathetic look when she met eyes with him. He was suffering too, she could tell, but probably not as much as she was.

"I'm sorry." They said this at the same time, and each immediately fell into silence afterward, waiting to see who would speak up again first. Kate turned and looked down at the street, kicking the stone with one of her feet simply to give herself something to do. "It's not your fault." She muttered, folding her arms across her chest. "Unless you killed him, in which case I'd have to kill you."

"I promise I didn't." Castle replied, only half jokingly. He was slumped on the bench beside her, looking miserable and quite unlike himself. This wasn't the adorable, happy Castle that she was used to seeing in the precinct. He was just as crushed as she was that things didn't go right, and in a way, it almost made her feel a bit better. She didn't like seeing him upset, but the fact that he was upset meant that this date wasn't based on just attraction. He really did like her and he really did want to be with her. It was more than just the usual response between a man and a woman. "I really am sorry, Kate. I wanted it to go well so badly. I never imagined that this would happen."

"I know. I didn't either." She sighed again, and finally turned to him. "It's just frustrating. We try to do something nice, but at the end of the day, it's always about the case. Sometimes I have to wonder. If someone hadn't copied the way you killed people in your books, if you didn't decide to base Nikki Heat on me, if you didn't follow me around everyday... What would we have to talk about?"

She couldn't believe she'd just said that. That had been another one of her greatest fears when it came to Castle. One day, if they actually were able to have a relationship together, would she just come home and realize that she'd run out of things to say to him? The date had started out odd, but it was only getting worse as time went on. First it was the fact that she was enjoying herself so much, then it was the murder, and now this, admitting things that even she had tried not to acknowledge. There was something about Castle that did this to her, that made her want to spill everything. No secrets. But that still couldn't calm some of her fears.

"Kate, I-"

"We've got three gunshot wounds to the chest, and I'd say he's been laying here for at least a few hours."

Lanie raised her voice so that the pair could hear her statement, and Rick and Kate soon got up from the bench and joined her near the body when she began giving them the facts. The detective couldn't blame her for the interruption, since this was something that needed to be done, but the ritual rattling off of the findings wasn't something she wanted to deal with at the present moment. It just made her even more unhappy. "What else?"

"Not much, but look at these impressions in the grass." Lanie made a gesture with her hand to indicate two sets of muddy footprints, as well as an indent in the ground, where something large had been obviously laying. The medical exmainer pointed to the latter. "This is where the body was found. And these," She pointed to the footprints, "are very interesting. They start a ways back, both sets of them, but one set stops a few feet away from the body."

Castle instantly walked to the start of the prints, then followed them to where the second set came to a stop. He then put up his thumb and forefinger, as if he were holding a gun. "He ran." Lanie, Kate, Ryan, and Esposito all looked back at him. "The killer pulls out a gun, which scares our guy here. So he runs, but he trips and falls. As he's scrambling to get up, the killer easily walks to there," he then pointed to the spot where the second set of prints come to an end, "and he shoots him. Three times."

Kate nodded, walking over to stand beside Castle. "But why three times? A few hours ago, it would have been getting dark. That's risky enough, killing someone in a public place with good visibility. Why shoot someone three times, when it's easy enough for someone to hear just one?" She thought for a moment. Maybe something was going on in the park or nearby, something that would distract any onlookers from the murder. She shook her head. She could think this over later. "Anything else?"

Esposito nodded, handing her a black wallet. Inside were a few pictures of three young children, two girls and a boy, some money, a few credit cards, and a drivers license. Jackpot. She showed the card to Castle, and he read aloud. "Philip Henderson, thirty-three..."

"Henderson! The old woman who lives in Brady's apartment. It could be a coincidence, but it is possible that they're related."

"And we do know that she has a son."

"And we know that her son has children." Beckett turned to Lanie and the two detectives and thanked them for all their help. She then turned to Castle, who was grinning from ear to ear. "We'll head back to the precinct, look all the information over, and see what we can get from it."

With a smile, Rick offered her an arm and together they headed back to the car.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I'm so incredibly sorry for the huge break in between updates. Life got in the way once again, and I had to take a bit of a writing break. However, I'm back and I'll be updating both of my stories more regularly. Again, I apologize for the wait, and I hope you like this next chapter. ~Pepper.**

"I've got nothing. Do you have anything? I wouldn't even say that the butler did it, 'cause that would at least be something."

"Did you really expect to have something?"

"Well, I-"

Kate smiled to herself and took a sip of her coffee, heading for her desk as she did. She said nothing to Castle, even as he moved to join her in his normal spot. He stared at her as she started going through some papers on her desk, rearranging things simply to give herself something to do.

"You," Castle tilted his head, "You didn't expect to find anything, did you?" He leaned forward in his chair, his voice becoming suddenly hurried and excited. He loved the thrill of figuring things out, even if they were just small mysteries. And he _especially _loved solving the mysteries of Kate Beckett. "Henderson is an extremely common name, and there's no point in checking up on _our _Henderson tonight. We wouldn't even get any results until tomorrow."

"You're good." Kate turned to him, taking a second to examine his features. She loved the way his eyes lit up, even at the smallest thing. She didn't think she'd ever met someone who took such joy in life. Seeing him like that just made her wish all the more that she could loosen up and enjoy herself more. That _was _what she had been trying to do tonight. "But I honestly thought you'd figure it out sooner."

"Then... why are we here?"

Kate raised an eyebrow, giving Castle a little laugh. "I take it back. I think you're slipping." She turned her chair so that she could face him, crossing her arms. It reminded Rick of an interrogation, and he suddenly felt as though he were a criminal, about to be questioned. However, Kate had something else in mind. "We're here because I felt really sorry about the way things went tonight. There's not much I can do, but I figured we could at least come here because it's quiet. We can be alone, and not have to worry about the case."

"Which is ironic, since we're in the precinct."

"Yes, yes I know." Kate rolled her eyes and gave him a playful little shove. She then bit her lip, her cheerful attitude somewhat disappearing. "But I do have a confession, and you're probably not going to like what I have to say." She sighed, preparing herself to deliver the bad news. She felt the same as when she had to explain to the victims' families that their loved ones had been murdered. She'd been doing it for a while now, but it never got any easier. And this, although it wasn't quite the same, was going to be just as difficult. Kate opened her mouth to speak, but she was soon stopped by the sensation of Castle putting his hand on top of hers.

"You don't have to explain it to me, Kate, I understand." He smiled, albeit sadly, and the detective narrowed her eyes in confusion. "You didn't want Lanie and the others to know about us."

"Castle," She shook her head, correcting herself, "Rick, I-"

"No, it's okay." He nodded to assure her. "If they found out, they would have made a big deal about it. Things had already gone sour with our date, and you didn't want it all to go downhill with them smothering you. I probably would have done the same thing."

"Seriously?" Kate still wore that same confused expression, though she still gave a laugh. "You've undoubtedly been dying for this day to come. I would have thought that you'd just love to brag about finally getting me to agree to go out with you."

He shrugged. "The thought crossed my mind, but I care about you, Kate. I don't want to upset you, or make you feel uncomfortable. Well, any more uncomfortable than you already were when we stumbled across that body."

"You know, I've had a few dates go bad, but I think this one wins the award for the best lousy ending. It actually reminds me of something from one of your books, Rick."

Suddenly, there was an electricity in the air. Both Rick and Kate gasped as the realization hit them. This _was_ just like one of his books. Then, at the same time, they choked out: "At Dusk We Die!"

Castle sprang up from his chair and was followed closely by Kate, who immediately sprinted over to the murder board. She turned to him, an excited gleam in her eye. "Okay, we have a murder that occurs in plain sight, a body that's been lying on the ground for a few hours, and two people who happen to stumble over it while they're on a date. Even the location is the same. The only thing that doesn't match up with your book is the footprints."

Rick nodded. "And that could be simply because it was raining earlier." He came up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder as he looked over the information on the board. "Do you really think we have another copycat?"

"You would love that, wouldn't you?" Kate rolled her eyes, and started to write something on the board, but she was stopped once again by a hand lightly touching her arm. She paused just before the marker touched the white background, and she turned to face Rick. "What?"

"Don't do this, Kate." He frowned, and gently took her by the shoulders, turning her around. "You said yourself you wanted us to be alone, not having to worry about the case. Let's wait until tomorrow. We can explain it to the boys in the morning, and we'll have Lanie's test results by then too. For now, we can celebrate this possible breakthrough."

The detective hesitated a moment, but eventually sighed and put the pen down. Castle was absolutely right. When she had a case, it wasn't unusal for her to become consumed in it. Even when she went home after a long day at the precinct, her thoughts were on her cases. She needed to just let go for now, and enjoy this rare occasion when she didn't have to worry about murder and suspects and clues. She didn't need to be Detective Beckett right now. She was Kate, and nothing else. Just Kate enjoying herself with someone that she really cared about.

"All right. What do you suggest we do to celebrate?"

Rick grinned. "I have some wine left. You wanna have a drink and make out a little?"

"Don't you think it's a little early for that?" Kate smiled, and came up to him, wrapping her arms around Castle's neck. "We'll save it for our next date. But for now, here's a little taste." Getting on her toes, she reached up and pressed her lips against Rick's, rewarding him with a sweet kiss. "Something to look forward to."


	8. Chapter 8

"Is it okay to have sex on the first date?"

Kate hoisted herself up onto a metal exam table, only to receive a surprised gasp in reply to her question. She watched as Lanie turned around and took a moment to gather herself after the shock, then looked around, noticing that the body they'd found the other night was already tucked away. That, or she hadn't begun her autopsy yet.

"Girl, you need to stop doing that."

She frowned. "Sorry. I keep forgetting you don't expect the living after seven o'clock. But what do you think?"

"About the body or the sex?"

Kate said nothing and simply crossed her arms, which seemed to give Lanie the message. She rolled her eyes. "That depends," the medical examiner finally answered, "With you and writer boy, I'd say that sex is long overdue. Therefore it's okay."

"Whoa!" Kate immediately went on the defensive, putting a hand up to slow her friend down. "Why do you assume that I'm talking about Castle?"

Lanie raised an eyebrow. "Come on. The boys may be oblivious, but I know why you two were at the park together last night. I saw the wine in the basket he was carrying, and how disappointed you looked when I showed up on the scene. You can't fool me. Now my question to you is what happened." She pointed a finger at Kate, who could suddenly feel the heat rising to her cheeks. "Spill it."

"It was... nice." The floor of the morgue suddenly became very interesting as she detailed to Lanie exactly how the date had gone, starting from when Rick picked her up all the way to when she nearly tripped over Henderson's body. She told her how things had been so easy the other night, and how carefree she felt when they were together. She told her how her date with Castle was probably the most fun she'd had in a while, and that she never had to worry about a thing, even when she woke up to find herself in bed with him.

"Uh-huh." Once again, Lanie Parish was wearing her classic "I told you so" look, and Kate knew that she was in for a special sort of interrogation. "So tell me about the sex."

"Lanie!"

She rolled her eyes. "We're of the same species, Kate. We have the same wants and needs. We can talk about these things." The medical examiner leaned forward, "Besides, I work with bodies for a living. I'm taking this all in from a strictly scientific perspective. So tell me, how is writer boy?"

"He's..." Kate bit her lip. She never thought she'd be having this conversation with Lanie. They'd known each other for a long time, and she was probably the closest friend she'd ever had, and they'd of course had the sex talk several times before. But she never thought she'd be detailing _Castle's_ bedroom talents. How on Earth was she supposed to describe it anyway? She sighed. "Okay, well you know Page 105 in Heat Wave?"

"In other words, the hottest sex scene in the history of literature?"

"I guess you could put it that way."

"What about it?"

"Well..."

"No! You mean it was actually like that?"

Kate nodded quickly, then looked over her shoulder as if she expected to see Rick standing right behind her, listening in on this private, slightly embarrassing conversation. Deeming that no one with a heartbeat was around to hear, she turned back to Lanie and lowered her voice. "There's more Jameson Rook in him than I think he'd like to admit." She paused, thinking this last statement over. "Or there's so much Jameson Rook in him that I'm sure he's just waiting for a moment to start the bragging."

"Not that you're going to let him, of course."

"Of course."

Kate's body tensed as soon as the words came out of her mouth, and she immediately regretted them. She recalled her conversation with Rick two nights ago, when they spoke about not making a big deal about their first date. He told her he'd figured she would want it that way, and that only made her feel guilty. She should _want _to make a big deal out of the fact that they'd had a date, and that they were going to go on another that weekend. It was, as Lanie had said, long overdue. Even she herself felt that way. So why shouldn't she tell people about it? This was a good thing, not something to be ashamed of. She sighed. "What about the body?"

"Just the gunshot wounds. The fact that the victim was shot in good visibility with a lot of people around surprised me though, so I did run a tox screen and I checked out the contents of his stomach. There was still nothing except some alcohol, and even that was within the legal limit."

"So our guy has a drink or two with his buddies, and then he gets shot."

"That's what it looks like." Lanie shrugged and the corners of her lips formed themselves into a frown. "Sorry I don't have more for you."

"That's not your fault." Kate ran a hand through her hair and then turned to go, waving at her friend. "I'll catch you later, Lanie."

"Yeah, later." The medical examiner smiled, then called out to Kate once she'd gone through the door. "Are we still on for drinks on Friday?"

"I totally forgot!" She was back at the door in a flash, sending Lanie an apologetic look. "I'd told Castle we'd go out again."

"Then I'm happy to sacrifice one of our dates for you and writer boy. Go have fun."

"Right." Kate smiled and headed out of the morgue for the second time. "I'll make it up to you!"


End file.
